Jujube - Natsume

Japanese: 棗 - なつめ

〘Noun〙① A deciduous tree of the Rhamnaceae family. Native to southeastern Europe and eastern Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times, and was introduced to Japan long ago, where it is planted in homes as a domestic fruit tree. It grows to about six meters in height. The trunk is dotted with thorns, and two to three twigs grow from each node. The leaves are short-stalked, 2 to 4 centimeters long, pointed, oval or oblong, with three prominent veins and fine sawtooth edges . In early summer, small, pale yellow, five-petaled flowers bloom in clusters in the leaf axils. The fruit is oval, about two centimeters long, with a large spindle-shaped core inside, and ripens to a dark red color with a sweet and sour taste. It is eaten raw, or dried, or candied and then dried to make honey dates. In Chinese medicine, the fruit is used as an antipyretic and tonic. Chinese name: Jujube. [Season: Autumn] *Daian-ji Temple Garan Engi and Ryuki Shizaicho (Record of Assets) - Tenpyo 19 (747) "Among the 36 Buddhist objects, there was a 19-cup natsume (jujube) bottle" ② A type of dye. The natsume fruit is dried, chopped, and boiled to make a dye liquid. It has a tea-like color. ③ A type of usucha (light tea) container. A lacquerware container, its shape resembles that of a natsume fruit, so it is also called a natsume-gata (jujube-shaped) tea container. It is said to have been invented by Haneda Goro in the mid-Muromachi period. [Matsuya-kaiki - Hisamasa Tea Ceremony Record, October 27, 1578 (Tensho 6)]

Source: The Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary About the Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary Information

Japanese:

〘名〙① クロウメモドキ科の落葉小高木。ヨーロッパ南東部からアジア東部原産で、古くから栽培され、日本へも古く渡来し、家庭果樹として人家に植えられている。高さ六メートルぐらい。幹にはまばらにとげがあり、一節から二～三本の小枝が出る。葉は短柄をもち、長さ二～四センチメートルの先のとがった卵形または長卵形で三脈がめだち、縁に細鋸歯(きょし)がある。初夏、葉腋に淡黄色の小さな五弁花が集まって咲く。果実は長さ約二センチメートルの楕円形で中に紡錘形の大きな核があり、暗紅色に熟し甘酸っぱい味がする。生食するほか、乾果や砂糖漬にしてから干した蜜棗が愛用される。漢方では果実を解熱・強壮剤に用いる。漢名、棗。《季・秋》※大安寺伽藍縁起并流記資財帳‐天平一九年（747）「合水瓶〈略〉仏物卅六口之中〈略〉十九口棗瓶」② 染料の一種。棗の果実を乾燥させ、刻み煎じて染汁を作ったもの。茶系統の色。③ 薄茶器の一種。漆工の容器で、形状が棗の実に似るので棗形茶入ともいう。室町中期に羽田五郎が創案したといわれる。〔松屋会記‐久政茶会記・天正六年（1578）一〇月二七日〕

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